Smarter Strength w/ Dr. David Skolnik, DPT

Our guest this week is Doctor Chris Swart.

Doctor Swart is an Exercise Science Professor with a PhD in Exercise Physiology. While this conversation is built on our shared experiences in the field of Exercise Science, there are a lot of universally applicable lessons that can be applied to the pursuit of any career or any stage of life - including the importance of networking early and often, finding mentors and testing your knowledge.

Our Partner on today's episode is FNXFit - save 15% on every purchase with the code ESSENTIAL at checkout!

Remember - If you are enjoying this podcast, be sure you’re subscribed, and that you’re sharing these episodes with your friends and family who would appreciate what we’re talking about on a weekly basis!

Today’s Conversation with Doctor Swart includes the story of his decision to pursue a career in academics vs. a career in coaching or rehab, the common mistakes he sees undergraduate students make as they prepare for graduation and the transition into the workforce, and Doctor Swart outlines his “Three Mentors Philosophy”.

Connect with Doctor Swart: @doctor.swart
Connect with David: @dr.davidskolnik.dpt
Connect with the Show: @essential.strength.podcast

Action Plan

This week’s action plan is inspired by Doctor Swart’s “Three Mentor’s Philosophy”. If you are truly trying to level up in life, you need to find people who have done want you want to do, experienced the potential stumbling blocks, and found success. So, without spoiling the Philosophy - I still want you to listen to the entire conversation, of course! - What I’m encouraging you to do is identify one area of life you are actively trying to improve - this could be professional, it could be athletic, it could be your marriage… you get to choose - and then find someone 10-20 years ahead of you who has achieved and sustained what you are striving for and approach them about mentoring you. You’ll learn about some strategies for initiating this type of conversation later in the conversation but for now, just start thinking about what you want to achieve and identifying potential mentors!

What's Next - That’s it for this week on The Essential Strength Podcast. Be sure to tune in next week for our episode with Kevin Mullins, coach, educator and author - and a discussion about the state of men’s mental health in the Fitness Industry, how we are taught to deal with difficult situations, what happens when our identity is called into question and whether or not we can still be badass coaches while taking a softer, more introspective approach to masculinity.  

Until next time - we wish you Strength and Good Health.

Want more content? Follow Dr. David on Instagram: @dr.davidskolnik.dpt

Our guest this week is Cory Camp.

Cory is a former Division One athlete, Founder of Forever Athlete and host of the Forever Athlete Podcast. After his athletic career ended, Cory experienced a profound loss of identity and felt that he’d been “locked out of flow” - the state of being where we are at our most creative and intuitive. The realization that he had invested too much of his identity into a single element of life, lead Cory to dedicate himself to helping other athletes make a smoother transition into life after sport.

Our Partner on today's episode is STRONG Coffee - save 15% on every purchase with the code ESSENTIAL at checkout!

Remember - If you are enjoying this podcast, be sure you’re subscribed, and that you’re sharing these episodes with your friends and family who would appreciate what we’re talking about on a weekly basis!

Today’s Conversation with Cory is about human connection, training for a marathon, getting uncomfortable and the struggles that athletes face when their careers come to an end.

Connect with Cory: @corycamp
Connect with David: @dr.davidskolnik.dpt
Connect with the Show: @essential.strength.podcast
Learn More About Forever Athlete:  https://www.foreverathletela.com/
Check out the Forever Athlete Podcast: Listen Here

Action Plan

This weeks action plan goes deep. I want each of you to ask yourself one of Cory’s favorite questions - “How would you describe yourself without telling me what you do for a living?” You’ll hear Cory’s answer in a just a little bit but feel free to pause this episode for a minute to answer this question in your head. If you find value in this exercise - I’d suggest you pose it to a friend, family member or significant other. I wonder if you’ll be surprised by their answer or if you’ll find you would use similar words to describe them? Regardless, I think you’ll learn something about yourself by describing yourself in this way.

What's Next - That’s it for this week on The Essential Strength Podcast. Be sure to tune in next week for our episode with Doctor Chris Swart, and a conversation about how undergraduate students with an interest in health and fitness can best prepare themselves for a successful transition into the working world. The conversation includes Dr. Swart's “3 Mentors Philosophy”, the power of networking and common mistakes students make but don’t have to.

Until next time - we wish you Strength and Good Health.

Want more content? Follow Dr. David on Instagram: @dr.davidskolnik.dpt

Our guest this week is Matteo Franceschetti.

An athlete his entire life, Matteo has always been obsessed with performance. First, it was athletics. Then business. Now, sleep. The first two pursuits - athletics and business - lead to many sleepless nights, rationalized by the pursuit of record performance. It was Matteo’s quest for more restorative sleep, in fact, that led him to quit his previous life and launch Eight Sleep, a company dedicated to fueling human potential through optimal sleep, and to turning the bed into a seamless health platform for improved health, performance, and longevity.

Our Partner on today's episode is FNX Fitness - save 15% on every purchase with the code ESSENTIAL at checkout!

Remember - If you are enjoying this podcast, be sure you’re subscribed, and that you’re sharing these episodes with your friends and family who would appreciate what we’re talking about on a weekly basis!

Today’s Conversation with Matteo centers around how to how to express our power, the roll of sleep in peak performance and how Eight Sleep is using modern technology to recreate a more optimal human sleep experience.

Connect with Matteo: Matteo Franceschetti on LinkedIn
Connect with David: @dr.davidskolnik.dpt
Connect with the Show: @essential.strength.podcast
Learn More About Eight Sleep : www.eightsleep.com

Action Plan

This week it’s all about SLEEP - something I’ve been learning so much about ever since I recorded this conversation with Matteo.  Sleep impacts everything from focus and memory retention, to risk of all sorts of mental health disorders, body composition, cancer risk, life expectancy - you name it, sleep effects it. I've been reading the book Why We Sleep , and in the book the author, Matthew Walker, even goes to far as to posit the question - “While most people ask - why did living organisms begin sleeping? - I think the more pertinent question may be why did we ever wake up”. Life is traumatic. Sleep is restorative. You action plan this week is incredibly simple - Get 7.5 hours or more of sleep every night this week if at all possible. This means giving yourself a sleep opportunity of closer to 8.5 hours of sleep - meaning about 8.5 hours of time in bed to achieve the 7.5 hours of sleep. And just take note of ALL the wonderful things you feel at the end of the week. While you’re getting all this wonderfully restorative rest - go check out EightSleep.com and, if you’re feeling like you really want to put all your newfound energy and focus to work - Check out “Why We Sleep” by Matthew Walker. Do these things and You’ll never look at your bed the same way again!

Whats Next - That’s it for this week. Make sure you’re subscribed to this podcast so that you don’t miss next week’s episode with Cory Camp, founder of Forever Athlete, and a conversation about human connection, training for a marathon, getting uncomfortable, the struggles that athletes face when their careers come to an end.

That’s it for this week.  Until next time - we wish you Strength and Good Health.

Want more content? Follow Dr. David on Instagram: @dr.davidskolnik.dpt

Our guest this week is James Ellis. James is a friend here in Phoenix and the owner of Hammer CrossFit. I’ve described James as a guy who would give you the shirt off his back, even if it was the last shirt he owned. This selflessness is juxtaposed by James’ self-proclaimed tendency to be an “over thinker” and today’s conversation is a deep dive into how James is able to both take bold action while still finding time and space to reflect on his decisions.

Our Partner on today's episode is STRONG Coffee - save 15% on every purchase with the code ESSENTIAL at checkout!

Remember - If you are enjoying this podcast, be sure you’re subscribed, and that you’re sharing these episodes with your friends and family who would appreciate what we’re talking about on a weekly basis!

Today’s Conversation with James centers around how to apply your strength in productive ways, the risks of using external strength to cover internal struggles, trying to find a balance between overthinking and taking action and expanding a gym-based business in the middle of a pandemic.

Connect with James: @jimsgym1030
Connect with David: @dr.davidskolnik.dpt
Connect with the Show: @essential.strength.podcast
Learn More James' Gyms:  ALL THE GYMS!

Action Plan

James had a very interesting insight on what triggers his tendency to overthink. Contrary to how many of us may view comfort vs. strain - for James its times where he is “too comfortable” that he feels the burden of overthinking creep to the forefront of his mind. So, with this knowledge - he stays active. He puts tasks, projects and goals on his plate and by stimulating a need to think fast and act fast he finds his mind is more at peace. Your action plan is not to do exactly what James does and forefeet yourself task after task and action after action. It’s simply to take the next seven days and bring some awareness to the times your mind feels at ease, like it’s running smoothly and firing on all cylinders vs. times it feels like it’s misfiring, or stuck in neutral. Try to avoid the impulse to judge your mind and force it to feel good in the situations you would like it to, but rather just work on identifying the times, tasks and environments that create the feeling of a happy, efficient mind. Then, with that knowledge, put yourself in position to experience more of these moments!

That’s it for this week. Make sure you’re subscribed to this podcast so that you don’t miss next week’s episode with Matteo Franceschetti - Founder & CEO of Eight Sleep - and a conversation about how to express our power, the roll of sleep in peak performance and how Eight Sleep is using modern technology to recreate a more optimal human sleep experience.

Until then, we wish you STRENGTH and GOOD HEALTH.

Want more content? Follow Dr. David on Instagram: @dr.davidskolnik.dpt

Our guest this week is Astrid Narajo - aka The Anti-Diet Dietician.

Our Partner on today's episode is FNX - save 15% on every purchase with the code ESSENTIAL at checkout!

Remember - If you are enjoying this podcast, be sure you’re subscribed, and that you’re sharing these episodes with your friends and family who would appreciate what we’re talking about on a weekly basis!

Today’s Conversation centers around Astrid’s four pillars of a wholistic health, common self-limiting mindsets that undermine fat loss goals, various ways to increasing caloric expenditure and the importance of asking yourself some very simple questions before you reach for your next snack.

Connect with Astrid: @antidiet_dietician
Connect with David: @dr.davidskolnik.dpt
Connect with the Show: @essential.strength.podcast
Learn More Astrid's Business:  So Many Resources!

Action Plan

Today’s action plan is - you guessed it - diet related! That being said - I am not going to give you a macronutrient goal, and calorie goal or anything else nearly that restrictive. Instead, I’m going to ask you to ask yourself the most profound question that Astrid suggested during our conversation. The question is - “Am I eating because I’m hungry? Or am I eating because it’s a habit?” You are going to hear Astrid and I talk at length about the topic of emotional eating later in today’s episode. We eat for all kinds of reasons - social norms, in response to sadness, in celebration or because this is how our parents ate. It might sound strange but - we rarely eat in response to hunger anymore. Food is just too readily available - hunger has become completely avoidable for most of us. But… is that really a good thing? You’re about to find out!

That’s it for this week. Make sure you’re subscribed to this podcast so that you don’t miss next week’s episode with James Ellis and a conversation about how to apply your strength in productive ways, the risks of using external strength to cover internal struggles, trying to find a balance between overthinking and taking action and expanding a gym-based business in the middle of a pandemic.

Until then, we wish you STRENGTH and GOOD HEALTH.

Want more content? Follow Dr. David on Instagram: @dr.davidskolnik.dpt

Our Guest this week is Austin Cohen.

Our partner on today's episode is STRONG Coffee - save 15% on every purchase with the code ESSENTIAL at checkout!

Remember - If you are enjoying this podcast, be sure you’re subscribed, and that you’re sharing these episodes with your friends and family who would appreciate what we’re talking about on a weekly basis!

In today’s conversation, Austin and I talk about the origins of FlexIt Fitness, the problem the company is out to solve, and the challenges of fitness entrepreneurship. Austin provides some very practical advice for anyone looking to branch into and build up their online coaching presence and we discuss the pros and cons of joining an established coaching company vs striking out on your own.

Connect with Austin: @austin_flexit
Connect with David: @dr.davidskolnik.dpt
Connect with the Show: @essential.strength.podcast
Learn More FlexIt Fitness:  https://flexit.fit/virtualpt/

Action Plan

Today’s action plan stems from something that Austin reveals towards the very end of the conversation - it is one of his three daily essentials. Austin strives to end each day knowing that anything he could have done today has not been left for tomorrow. Now, I’m not saying you need to turn this podcast off and get busy immediately - seriously, stick around because this is an incredible episode - but rather I just want you to be little more diligent with creating a daily to-do list that is achievable. I want you to be a smidge more protective of your time, a bit more committed to your priorities and give yourself permission to say “no” I can’t do that today, my scheduled is already full. If it feels good today, do a little bit more tomorrow, and the day after that. By the end of this week, I think you’ll back and say “Wow”, I can’t believe how much I accomplished.

That’s it for this week. Make sure you’re subscribed to this podcast so that you don’t miss next week’s episode with Astrid Naranjo. Astrid is a clinical dietician  and nutritionist who joins us to talk about the four pillars of a wholistic health, common self-limiting mindsets that undermine fat loss goals, various ways to increasing caloric expenditure and the importance of asking yourself some very simple questions before you reach for your next snack.

Until then, we wish you STRENGTH and GOOD HEALTH.

Want more content? Follow Dr. David on Instagram: @dr.davidskolnik.dpt

Our guest this week is Nelly Attar.

Our partner on today's episode is STRONG Coffee - save 15% on every purchase with the code ESSENTIAL at checkout!

Remember - If you are enjoying this podcast, be sure you’re subscribed, and that you’re sharing these episodes with your friends and family who would appreciate what we’re talking about on a weekly basis!

Nelly Attar joins us all the way from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Nelly is a sports entrepreneur, trainer and athlete. After completing two degrees in psychology and working in mental health for four years, Nelly followed a calling to pursue her growing interest in physical activity and sport and has become a driving force in the emerging sports landscape in the middle east as wall as a champion of ecotourism and adventure tourism in the region. Nelly has summited mount Everest, run 6 full marathons, completed 2 half ironman races and is currently training for the most demanding physical challenge of her life.

Connect with Nelly: @nellyattar
Connect with David: @dr.davidskolnik.dpt
Connect with the Show: @essential.strength.podcast
Learn More Nelly on her Website:  http://nellyattar.com/

Action Plan

This week’s action plan stems from something Nelly says fairly early in our conversation. You are going to hear Nelly and I talk at length about a quote from her father that has driven her forward through all of life’s challenges. But that’s not the quote that your action plan is based on. It’s based on this quote, from Nelly - “Life is a beautiful thing, because even when we plan for it, it’s full of surprises.” I want you to write that quote down and put it somewhere you will see if every day. Keep it up for at least a week and let it be a reminder to you - despite our best attempts, our most thorough preparation - we can never fully control life. This lack of control can be felt in one of two ways - as a frustration, and something we must fight against or as the exact thing that makes life so beautiful, something to embrace and be grateful for. Ultimately, the interpretation is up to you, but I’d suggest that for the next seven days you practice viewing life’s surprises and moments of beauty.

That’s it for this week. Make sure you’re subscribed to this podcast so that you don’t miss next week’s episode with Austin Cohen -  Founder and CEO of FlexIt - and a conversation about virtual fitness, improving access to personal training, re-thinking what it means to have a gym membership and Austin’s personal mantra of “don’t let anything that can be done today get left for tomorrow.”

Until then, we wish you Strength and Good Health!

Want more content? Follow Dr. David on Instagram: @dr.davidskolnik.dpt

Our Guest this week is Sarah McDevitt.

Our partner on this week's episode is Pain Free Performance - Save 15% with the code ESSENTIAL at checkout!

Remember - If you are enjoying this podcast, be sure you’re subscribed, and that you’re sharing these episodes with your friends and family who would appreciate what we’re talking about on a weekly basis!

In today's conversation, we talk to Sarah about her personal experiences with anxiety and her realization that, like many of us, achieving the deeper states of meditation was really freakin hard! In today’s conversation, Sarah walks us through the benefits she found from meditation and breath work and small discoveries along the way that lead her to develop Core as she realized that utilizing an external object allowed her to better anchor herself in the present moment.

Connect with Anthony: SarahMcDevitt on LinkedIn
Connect with David: @dr.davidskolnik.dpt
Connect with the Show: @essential.strength.podcast
Learn More About Core: https://hyperice.com/products/core-premium/

Action Plan

This week’s action plan is to take the next seven days and practice meditation for at least 5 minutes per day. I want you to focus on one specific line from Sarah that you will hear later in this episode - “We Must Enjoy the Journey.” Meditation is your journey this week. Not your destination - your JOURNEY. Accept every distracted moment, every fleeting thought, every moment that meditation feels harder than it should be. There is a reason people “practice” meditation - they don’t achieve it. It’s a process, a journey if you will to become better, more focused, more accepting of your own headspace and more connected to you own mind. If you want to check out the Core app - you can find it linked in this week’s show notes - even without the Core device, you can try the guided meditations that Sarah and I will be talking about today. 5 minutes a day for 7 days - that is how you turn thoughts into action this week!

That’s it for this week. Make sure you’re subscribed to this podcast so that you don’t miss next week’s episode with Nelly Attar for a conversation about the strength that can be found in grief, how to live an inspired life, and the work Nelly is doing to improve access to sport and fitness in her home country of Saudi Arabia!

Until then, we wish you Strength and Good Health!

Want more content? Follow Dr. David on Instagram: @dr.davidskolnik.dpt

Our guest this week is Anthony Mendez.

Our partner on this week's episode is STRONG Coffee - Save 15% with the code ESSENTIAL at checkout!

Remember - If you are enjoying this podcast, be sure you’re subscribed, and that you’re sharing these episodes with your friends and family who would appreciate what we’re talking about on a weekly basis!

In today’s conversation, Anthony and I walk about how to define success for yourself rather than measuring your success by someone else definition. We talk about both the big and the small stepping stones in Anthony’s career and lessons learned along the way and we talk about algorithm-proof tactics for building a large and engaged social media presence and the impact social media can have on a health and fitness business!

Connect with Anthony: @mendezfitness
Connect with David: @dr.davidskolnik.dpt
Connect with the Show: @essential.strength.podcast
Check Out Anthony's Podcast: Sweat It Out

Action Plan

If you have an instagram account and you want to grow it and leverage it for your business I want to you block out time to engage and interact every day for the next 7 days. Put it in your calendar, highlight it and then check it off when you do it. What exactly do I mean by engage and interact? I want you to dm every new follower, thank them for the follow and ask a follow-up question, start a conversation! Then, choose 5 of the accounts that liked your last post and DM them - thank them for engaging with your content and see if there is anything they’d like to see more of, or how that particular piece of content impacted them. Again - start a conversation! If you are action SOCIAL on social media, you will separate yourself from the herd very quickly!

That’s it for this week. Make sure you’re subscribed to this podcast so that you don’t miss next week’s episode with Sarah McDevitt - CEO of Core by HyperIce and a conversation about breaking down the mystery of meditation, using breath training to enhance a mental practice and how biofeedback from the Core device can enhance a meditation practice!

Until then, we wish you Strength and Good Health!

Want more content? Follow Dr. David on Instagram: @dr.davidskolnik.dpt

Our guest this week is Julie Shiller.

Our partner this week is Pain Free Performance - use the code ESSENTIAL at checkout to save 15%

Remember - If you are enjoying this podcast, be sure you’re subscribed, and that you’re sharing these episodes with your friends and family who would appreciate what we’re talking about on a weekly basis!

In today’s conversation, Julie and I talk about her evolving definition of strength, the benefits of taking risks and intentionally trying things you are bad at, the role of courage in living a strong life and the urgent need for everyone to begin strength training given our current health climate.

Connect with Julie:  @theother23hourscoaching
Connect with David: @dr.davidskolnik.dpt
Connect with the Show: @essential.strength.podcast

Action Plan

I want to you grab a pen and paper and make a short list of things you want, but you’ve been too afraid to ask for. That could mean things that require you to ask permission from someone else, or things you simply need to give yourself permission to pursue. Once you’ve got your list written down, choose the one that’s the scariest. The one that is going to require to most courage to ask for. And ask for that. If it’s only you that needs to give yourself permission, well - then make sure the answer is a resounding YES. The reason to start with the scariest, most courageous ask is that once you’ve checked that one off, the rest of the list won’t be nearly as scary! So follow Julie’s advice today - be courageous, do something that scares you and ask for what you want!

That’s it for this week! Make sure that you are subscribed to this podcast so that you don’t miss next week’s episode with Anthony Mendez and a conversation about how to define your own success, taking small actions in preparation for the big leaps of faith and some very practical strategies for growing an Instagram Account that supports your personal and business goals!

Until next time - we wish you STRENGTH and GOOD HEALTH!

Want more content? Follow Dr. David on Instagram: @dr.davidskolnik.dpt